Workforce engagement only 20%? Time for coaching conversations

Gallup’s recent report on the State of the Australian and New Zealand Workplace says engagement in our workplaces is only 20%. In addition 67% of employees in Australia and New Zealand are ‘quiet quitting’. Furthermore 13% are actively disengaged.

We know that coaching can achieve a 73% improvement in engagement and 36% uplift in performance using strengths-based conversations.

Therefore, in response to poor engagement we say: there has never been a better time for coaching conversations.

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What is ‘quiet quitting’?

The report says these employees ‘are filling a seat and watching the clock. They put in minimum effort required. They are psychologically disconnected from their employer. Although they are minimally productive, they are more likely to be stressed and burnt out than engaged workers. This is because they feel lost and disconnected from their workplace’.

Gallup State of the Australian and New Zealand Workplace 2023, p.2

Most importantly, however, the report says that 70% of team engagement is attributed to the manger. Furthermore, that workers who are quiet quitting are ‘winnable’.

What’s getting in the way of managers coaching?

We know that managers need to coach their people. In addition, if managers do coach, they can turn around poor engagement. And they need the skills they can get from our Leader as Coach or coaching qualifications.

But let’s face it, there are a lot of excuses that we hear that are in the way. For example, ‘it’s easier to do it myself’. Furthermore, ‘there’s not much I can do about it’. In addition, ‘I have no time’. To turn around poor engagement, we have to turn around the things that get in the way.

But how do we start to turn around poor engagement?

The answer lies in coaching questions. In particular, asking great questions and using a simple coaching tool called ‘reframing’. We talk a lot about reframing on our ICF accredited coaching programs. And you can hear the approach by listening to the podcast. But if you look at the reasons why people are quiet quitting. We can turn those reasons around using reframing. And use them as conversation starters.

For example, if an employee is quiet quitting because their work is repetitive and they feel like they are not learning. We can ask:

What can we do to make the work less repetitive?

Alternatively, how can we introduce more variety into your work?

What would you like to learn?

Which role are you most interested in?

How can we cross-skill or up-skill?

All of these questions get the conversation started. In addition, we have many examples of how these questions have turned around poor engagement and created the massive uplift in performance.

Poor engagement affects our home life

But it’s not just about work performance. Ultimately, poor engagement at work starts to have an impact on our home life. In addition, our mental health. The Black Dog Institute says that one of the benefits of a mentally healthy workplace is increased engagement.

Therefore, there are many benefits of taking the time to have the conversations.

Enjoy your coaching.

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